A cat met Mr. Fox in the woods. The cat thought, “He is so smart and has been so many places. All the animals respect him."
So she spoke to him in a friendly and respectful way: “Hello, my dear Mr. Fox. How are you? How are you getting by in these hard times?”
The fox, who thought he was very important, looked the cat over from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. He sniffed.
Then he said, “Oh, you fool, you hungry mouse-hunter, what are you thinking? Have you the nerve to ask how I am doing? What do you know? How many tricks do you understand?”
“Just one,” answered the cat, looking down at the ground.
“What kind of trick is it?” asked the fox.
“When the dogs are chasing me, I can jump into a tree and save myself.”
“Is that all?” said the fox. “I know a hundred tricks. I have a whole bagful of tricks! I feel sorry for you. Come with me, and I will teach you a thing or two!”
Just then a hunter came by with four dogs. The cat jumped up a tree and hid among the branches and leaves. The fox was trapped.
“Use some of your tricks, Mr. Fox, use some of your tricks!” the cat shouted to him, but the dogs caught him.
“Oh, Mr. Fox,” cried the cat. “All your smart tricks couldn’t save you, but my poor simple one saved me.”
Moral: Respect others.
Questions
1. Did the cat show respect for Mr. Fox? In what way?
2. Did Mr. Fox show respect for the cat?
3. How did Mr. Fox show a lack of respect for the cat?
4. If Mr. Fox respected the cat how might the story end differently?
5. Why is it a good thing to show respect for everyone, no matter how few abilities someone might have?
Reflection Exercise
Do you sometimes show disrespect to your family members or friends? In what ways? (Give two or three examples.) After reading about the cat and Mr. Fox, how would you change the way you treat others? Tell your teacher and classmates.
So she spoke to him in a friendly and respectful way: “Hello, my dear Mr. Fox. How are you? How are you getting by in these hard times?”
The fox, who thought he was very important, looked the cat over from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. He sniffed.
Then he said, “Oh, you fool, you hungry mouse-hunter, what are you thinking? Have you the nerve to ask how I am doing? What do you know? How many tricks do you understand?”
“Just one,” answered the cat, looking down at the ground.
“What kind of trick is it?” asked the fox.
“When the dogs are chasing me, I can jump into a tree and save myself.”
“Is that all?” said the fox. “I know a hundred tricks. I have a whole bagful of tricks! I feel sorry for you. Come with me, and I will teach you a thing or two!”
Just then a hunter came by with four dogs. The cat jumped up a tree and hid among the branches and leaves. The fox was trapped.
“Use some of your tricks, Mr. Fox, use some of your tricks!” the cat shouted to him, but the dogs caught him.
“Oh, Mr. Fox,” cried the cat. “All your smart tricks couldn’t save you, but my poor simple one saved me.”
Moral: Respect others.
Questions
1. Did the cat show respect for Mr. Fox? In what way?
2. Did Mr. Fox show respect for the cat?
3. How did Mr. Fox show a lack of respect for the cat?
4. If Mr. Fox respected the cat how might the story end differently?
5. Why is it a good thing to show respect for everyone, no matter how few abilities someone might have?
Reflection Exercise
Do you sometimes show disrespect to your family members or friends? In what ways? (Give two or three examples.) After reading about the cat and Mr. Fox, how would you change the way you treat others? Tell your teacher and classmates.